1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to surgical instruments. More particularly, this invention relates to single-use surgical instruments. Most particularly this invention relates to an indicator which indicates whether a surgical instrument has been used.
2. State of the Art
The manufacture of surgical instruments comprises a very large industry. Some surgical instruments are designed for multiple use. That is, they are cleaned and sterilized after use for use again. Single-use surgical instruments have been available for more than twenty years. These surgical instruments are used only once and then discarded as medical waste.
There is a great desire to reduce the per procedure cost of surgery. This has given rise to a substantial secondary market for companies engaged in salvaging, cleaning, and sterilizing used single-use surgical instruments.